Will Daniel Ricciardo return to F1?
His chances of a sensational comeback in 2024 are slim.
When a rumour emerged earlier this month that Daniel Ricciardo was about to replace Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri, the internet went into a frenzy.
Sadly though, Ricciardo - one of F1’s most beloved personalities - was not set for a fairytale F1 return.
The rumour was born out of Ricciardo doing a seat fitting for AlphaTauri at their Italian base, but it wasn’t because he was about to race.
Instead, it happened because Ricciardo is a reserve driver for AlphaTauri. It was all pretty innocuous, as it turned out.
Still, wasn’t it fascinating to see the excitement that surrounded the mere suggestion of Ricciardo returning?
There’s a unique buzz that surrounds the eight-time Grand Prix winner. He is definitely a fan favourite.
At the Australian Grand Prix this year, Ricciardo told Sky Sports F1 that “the signs” were pointing to an F1 return.
"I feel like that's where I'm tracking in my head and a few of the habits that I'm having or doing is pointing towards that,” he said.
Ricciardo also implied that he’d gotten over any trauma from his two dreadful years at McLaren by saying: “I think some itches have been scratched.”
But, his chances of a comeback in 2024 are slim.
Up front, Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin will continue with unchanged line-ups in 2024, while the same is expected at Mercedes. (They just need to confirm an expected contract extension with Lewis Hamilton).
It’s probably worth saying here that even if one of these teams had a spot free, it’s unlikely Ricciardo would get it.
Given how his two years at McLaren panned out, why would they gamble on him?
Further down the grid, Ricciardo faces more closed doors.
McLaren have Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri under contract for 2024, while the same is true for Alpine with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.
AlphaTauri also isn’t an option because junior drivers Liam Lawson and Ayumu Iwasa are next in line, according to Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko.
That narrows Ricciardo’s plausible options to just three teams: Alfa Romeo, Haas and Williams.
Each one might have a spare seat in 2024.
Guanyu Zhou is not confirmed at Alfa Romeo, and the same is reportedly true for Nico Hulkenberg at Haas and Logan Sargeant at Williams.
Unfortunately for Ricciardo, these three drivers have performed acceptably so far this year. There isn’t any huge pressure on any of them, though there are still 17 races to go - so that could change.
Ultimately, it’s just too early to say whether Zhou, Hulkenberg and Sargeant will continue with their respective teams.
Beyond this, Ricciardo’s best hope for 2024 is benefitting from someone else’s chaos.
For example, what would happen if Lewis Hamilton didn’t continue with Mercedes?
Such chaos is not entirely unheard of.
Consider last season and the fallout from Sebastian Vettel’s decision to retire.
That caused a game of contractual musical chairs that ultimately involved Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, Oscar Piastri, and Ricciardo himself.
It is a helpful reminder that anything is possible.
Ah, Daniel... As much as I love to daydream about his miraculous return to F1, you’re right that it’s highly (highlyyyyy) unlikely. I can see him doing two things if he still wants to race: waiting another year as “third driver” with Red Bull or swapping to Indycar. Personally I would love to see him in Indycar! The US would definitely embrace him with open arms.
If de Vries were to be replaced after summer break, Liam Lawson would definitely be the first option over Daniel Ricciardo. However, i think it's way too early in the season (and his F1 career) to be replaced. AlphaTauri isn't a team fighting at the top, so decisions like this aren't that urgent. As Helmut Marko said, he's only been given the "yellow card." Like you said though, anything is possible.